


Nanny Troubles

by Destielixer



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, Mickey Milkovich as a Father, Mickey Milkovich as a Good Father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-20 06:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2419124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destielixer/pseuds/Destielixer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian is a ‘manny’ that is male nanny and he’s hired by Lord Mickey Milkovich to watch his young son Yevgeny Milkovich. Mickey’s never had a nanny that Yevgeny’s been good with before so he’s hired countless nannies from the agency and now they send him a male nanny. Ian seems to be able to handle Yevgeny very well so there’s no problems there…it’s only until MIckey realises that he just might have feelings for the nanny that the trouble begins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

[SEND ME A SHIP AND A NUMBER AND I’LL WRITE A SHORT FIC](http://gallaviction.tumblr.com/post/98454350270/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-ill-write-a-short-fic)

**46\. nanny/single parent au**

**A/N: I have been educated by doing this prompt! There’s a thing called['mannies'](http://www.royalnannies.com/male-nannies-mannies) which are male nannies but idk if it existed back then in this fic that is which is a historical au of sorts? So idk but i’m just gonna use that idea anyway nonnies. Also in terms of the other fics please check [here](http://gallaviction.tumblr.com/post/99312635655/those-who-wish-to-ask-for-fics-please-read-this) <3 links will be updated there as i go along! This is going to turn into a chaptered fic though idk how long it’ll be between updates. **

* * *

 

“Master Milkovich, the nanny has arrived,” the butler announced when he was halfway through breakfast. He set the papers down, looking to his butler, “Have him settle down in the sitting room, I’ll be over when I’m done,” Mickey answered watching as his butler left him in peace. He was definitely not going to get up from his morning breakfast for some nanny. She would just have to wait until he was done with his meal.

He finished up reading his papers and his breakfast at his leisure before he finally stood, folded the papers and had one of the maids go upstairs to get his son Yevgeny down. Mickey waited at the foot of the staircase now as the maid carried his four-year-old son down. “Milord,” she greeted after she set Yevgeny down then bowed and left them.

Mickey bent down to little Yevgeny’s height, “Daddy got you a new friend Yev,” he said as he held Yevgeny’s hand, “Do you wanna meet her?” he asked and his son just nodded, clinging onto his little stuffed bear. “C’mon then she’ll take better care of you than I ever will, considering how goddamn busy I am,” he muttered as he carried Yevgeny in his arms and made for the sitting room.

What he didn’t count on was that the nanny wasn’t a ‘she’ but in fact a ‘he’ which is why when he entered the sitting room and saw a young man with his back to him exploring the sitting room, looking at the portraits, his first instinct was to call for help.

“Kevin!” he called for his butler and the strange redheaded young man turned, startled hands held up in surrender already.

“I’m sorry…um…you must be Lord Milkovich…I didn’t mean to…look at the portraits…” he murmured.

“Yes Milord?” came his butler as the tall man entered the room, “Is anything the matter?”

“Who is this?” Mickey asked indicating the redhead who was still standing hands held up as if to say ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’.

“The nanny?” both the redhead and Kevin his butler answered at the same time.

Mickey nearly choked; he adjusted Yevgeny in his arms as he schooled his features to mask his shock, “Right, Kevin you may leave us, just send some drinks for Mr…”

“Gallagher, Ian Gallagher,” the redhead supplied when he fell short of a name.

“Mr Gallagher,” Mickey finished and his butler nodded and left without another word. “Have a seat Gallagher,” Mickey said to the nanny.

“Thank you Lord Milkovich,” the redhead answered him.

Mickey sat down too opposite Ian, putting Yevgeny down on the couch next to him before he turned to look at the redhead, “Do not address me as such,” he said.

Ian raised a brow at him, “Excuse me, I’m sorry what then would you want me to call you?”

“Just Milord, it’s fine. Nanny’s have no need for use of names anyway,” Mickey explained.

The redhead looked like he was about to say something but then he just closed his mouth again and looked to his hands, “Yes I understand Milord.”

“Good. Now why are  _you_  a nanny?” Mickey asked.

The redhead pursed his lips, brows furrowing in confusion, “What do you mean why am I a nanny? I trained for the job, I have a certificate, you asked the agency for a nanny and they sent me to you. I don’t get what you’re trying to say at Milord.”

Mickey heaved a sigh, “Nannies are  _females_  and unless you can tell me you are an extremely flat chested woman and your voice has always been of that note, then I don’t see why I have a  _male_ nanny in my sitting room right now.”

Ian laughed, Christ; this new master was a funny one. He clearly hadn’t gotten out and about in awhile to have such a straight line of thinking, “Allow me to correct you Milord, but I’m afraid your manner of thought is wrong, completely wrong you see. Because there are male nannies you just haven’t heard of them, or for that matter have had one sent to you to help you take care of your little boy. We’re mannies.”

“Fucking what?” Mickey asked, his hands covering Yevgeny’s ears for that split second. “No don’t laugh, you stop laughing,” Mickey said as he pointed a finger at the redhead, “this is not a laughing matter!”

“I’m sorry Milord,” Ian said grinning, “It’s just covering your son’s ears when you say a bad word, cute, but I think it’d be better if you didn’t use vulgarities in the first place.”

Mickey cocked his head, “Are you suggesting how I lead my life Gallagher?” he asked and the redhead quickly shook his head.

“Not really. No.”

At that point one of the maids came in with a cool drink for the nanny. Mickey stopped talking, waiting until the maid had left before he spoke again, “So you’re a…manny?” he asked the word foreign on his tongue.

“I’d prefer you not use that term Milord, nanny is just fine with me,” Ian answered as he sipped the lemonade.

“I had no idea the agency employed male nannies,” Mickey said as he leant back against the couch and watched the redhead drink, “Your rates are still the same though, right?”

Ian laughed and nodded, “Yes we’re all paid the same regardless of gender Milord. And also they have been employing male nannies for awhile now.”

Mickey pursed his lips, not liking how the redhead answered him back, “Right,” he said with a sigh, “Yevgeny why don’t you go and say hi to your new friend,” he said as he helped his young son down from the couch.

Ian watched as the boy tottered over to him, he held his hands out so that he could grab it and the little boy did. He grabbed his hands and grinned, looking up at him with a big smile, “Hello, Yevgeny,” Ian said as he smiled back at the child, “My name’s Ian and I’m going to be your nanny if you daddy allows me,” he said his eyes glancing over to his lordship.

“You can call him Yev, it’s shorter if you don’t want to pronounce his full name,” Mickey said, “I’ll have Kevin prepare a room for you next to Yevgeny’s nursery. There’s a connecting door to it. You must be there around the clock to look after him and attend to his every need. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly Milord,” Ian said with a smile, “I’ll be sure not to disappoint you, I swear it.”

Mickey rolled his eyes, “Don’t use that language either. I don’t need you to swear things.”

“I promise then?” the nanny asked.

And Mickey scowled, “Am I going to have to deal with the problem of you constantly talking back to me?”

Ian shrugged, “I dunno. It depends,” he said with a little smirk.

“Christ,” he muttered pinching the bridge of his nose, “just make sure Yevgeny doesn’t pick that up from you or I’ll have to turn you out of the house.”

“I promise Milord,” Ian answered.

“Right,” Mickey said as he stood and rang for the maid to clean up the space and then rang for Kevin, “Kevin, show Mr Gallagher around. Make sure he touches nothing,” Mickey warned, “Also,” this he turned to Ian, “I’m going to need to see the clothes you brought.”

“What?” Ian asked as he stood now too, carrying Yevgeny in his arms, “What for?”

“Because I want to burn them,” Mickey said with a roll of his eyes, “No I need to see if they’re suitable or not should we go out for public events. You are a nanny meaning you’d have to get out of the house because Yevgeny is my son and he has to attend mostly everything with me. You may wear whatever you like in my house but when we go out for events with Yevgeny you  _have_ to dress properly,” he explained.

“Oh…okay…um…do you want to inspect my clothes later then?” he asks looking around Yevgeny at him.

“Tonight, before you go to bed. I’ll find you then, in the meantime I’ll be busy, so please take good care of my little boy,” Mickey said as he reached to press a kiss to Yevgeny’s cheek.

Ian couldn’t stop himself from smiling because despite his lordship’s rather cold, uncaring demeanour towards him, where Yevgeny was involved though it was a totally different matter. He found he much preferred the man who treated Yevgeny with care than to the icy young master that he was.

“Come with me,” Kevin said as he signalled to the new nanny, “I’ll show you around the house,” he said and then with a nod in his lordship’s direction they both left the sitting room together. “I see I’m going to have to school you in manners as well, Mr Gallagher,” he half joked.

“Um I didn’t know…” Ian began.

“Nah it’s okay they usually let nannies have it light most of the time, in his lordship’s case anyway. But not under other households,” Kevin said with a tight smile.

“Oh. Well in that case I guess you should teach me then…Mr…”

“Kevin. Just Kevin will do,” the butler said.

“Why’s that?”

“Because Mr Ball would sound rather vulgar,” the butler joked and Ian laughed, “well I’d best show you to your room first then,” Kevin said as they both made their way up to the upper floors.

* * *

Ian made a mental note to remember which door led to which room because all the doors were made of the same colour and there was no indication whose room it was at all. He knows that his lordship’s room is the one third from the landing in the left wing of the house. The nursery is right at the end of it. His new room, the one where he would be staying in would be right next to the nursery, a room away from his lordship’s. The rest of the rooms though, he would just take to remembering it over the course of his stay.

He set Yevgeny down on his bed now the little boy lying down in it immediately as he played with his stuffed toy.

“Kevin, is it alright if I asked you something?” he began.

“Oh your bags will be brought up later Mr Gallagher,” Kevin said.

“Uh, just Ian will do, you’re my senior after all,” Ian told him, then continued, “and I wasn’t talking about my bags.”

“What then?”

Ian took a deep breath, “Well…um…I was wondering…” he trailed off, “I mean I don’t want to pry or anything but, usually it’s the mother who deals with nannies and the like. Is Yevgeny’s mother not home yet?” he asked he probably knew he shouldn’t have asked when he saw Kevin’s face darken. “I mean you don’t have to tell me. I just…I was just curious is all…I happened to see a portrait down in the sitting room…the three of them…”

“Tell no one that I said this,” Kevin hissed as he closed the room door and then came back over to the nanny’s side, “Her ladyship passed away from tuberculosis before the young master,” he said nodding to Yevgeny at that, “turned two. His lordship’s never been the same since then.”

“Oh…I’m so sorry…” Ian muttered as he looked at Yevgeny who was happily rolling about in his bed, playing with the teddy bear, tucking it in under the covers, “I didn’t know…I thought she might’ve been away.”

“The agency didn’t tell you?” Kevin asked.

Ian shook his head, “No. I mean they told me Lord Milkovich was a bit of a handful when it came to nannies. That he wasn’t able to be pleased easily.”

Kevin nodded, “We’ve seen a  _string_ of nannies coming and going Ian, trust me it was more than a handful. But,” at this the butler grinned, “at least I think his lordship’s taken a shine to you.”

“You must be joking!” Ian muttered, “He hates me, because I answer back too much and I can’t help that.”

“Don’t tell his lordship I said this but he needs a little backchat sometimes, or at least some cheerful company. He never gets out of the house much if he can help it. So he gets into these moods sometimes and it can be really nasty. He’s been a recluse since her ladyship passed,” Kevin explained.

“Were they in love?” Ian asked fascinated by the story for some reason.

“I can’t say for sure Ian,” Kevin answered, “All I know is that his lordship was engaged to her ladyship before they finally got married. Then they had Yevgeny but all the while I’ve never really seen his lordship to be happy if you know what I mean.”

“Was it an arranged marriage?” Ian pressed, “Because arranged marriages are always the cause for depression and it’s half the time why so many of us are unhappy.”

“Now that I can’t tell you for sure,” Kevin said, “I’ve already said too much.”

“Thank you for sharing Kevin, and if it helps, I’ll take the blame if and when his lordship finds out,” Ian said with a grin.

“I’ll hold you to that! Now that we’ve got you all settled in. Dinner is at seven in the dining hall. You’ll be expected to be there as Yevgeny’s nanny. I suggest you neaten up in the meantime Ian,” he said and then Kevin left his room.

Ian looked to Yevgeny now and the kid giggled and looked at him, “Teddy sleeping,” he said putting a finger to his lips and shushing him. Ian smiled, “Shall I read you a story then Yev?”

“Princess frog story!” the little boy said as he crawled out of bed, tottering to the connecting door of the nursery. Ian followed after him quickly and watched as Yevgeny pulled a book out of the shelf, “Princess frog story!” he said again as he held up the book, “Read!”

“Please, you have to say please when you want someone to do something for you,” he said as he settled down on the little couch in the nursery, Yevgeny’s room, patting the seat next to him.

Yevgeny tottered over to him, climbing up onto the couch. He put the book in his lap, “Read…please?” he asked turning pleading eyes to him. Ian grinned as he nodded and opened the book, Yevgeny leaning against his side as he began the tale of the Frog Prince. 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay I am officially obsessed with typing this historical AU thing. I’ve been at it for hours since yesterday and right now I’ve got a total of 36 pages worth of this stuff. I hope you guys like this story as much as I enjoy writing it! <3**

_Note: I also mention Hinds Cream later in this chapter just incase you’re curious[this](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81vSYKnn3YL._SL1500_.jpg) is what it is. _

* * *

 

“I want princess kiss me then I can be prince,” Yevgeny said over dinner as the redhead nanny fed him.

“You really don’t want to be a frog Yevgeny,” Ian was telling his son.

“Frogs are nice. Can we catch frogs Ian?” Yevgeny asked.

“You’d have to ask your father,” Ian said looking to him at that.

“Can I daddy?” Yevgeny asked, and then added, “Can I…please…catch frogs?”

Mickey raised a brow at Yevgeny’s apparently newly taught word. He remembered to keep his features free of his previous awestruck look, seemingly unperturbed by this sudden show of manners, “I suppose you can Yev. Ian you are to take him out tomorrow we’ll head to the back of the estate, near the forest in the afternoon. There’s a stream there with frogs.”

Ian nodded and smiled, “Are we to have a picnic lunch then?” he asked.

“What gave you that silly idea? No we are not,” Mickey answered, and the matter was to be put to rest there, or so he thought.

“Why not?” Ian simply asked as he continued to feed Yevgeny who was running a little toy truck up and down the length of the dining table as he chewed on the spoonful of food. “It seems only logical.”

Mickey was  _not_ used to this backchat at all. On the one hand he wanted to send Ian away for being such a _talker_  but on the other hand…he dealt with Yevgeny so well that it got him staring many times tonight as Yevgeny obediently ate his food. All he could do was wonder  _how_  had Ian gotten complete control of his son? Usually the nannies that he’d hired were by now struggling to get through dinner.

His son wouldn’t eat; he would make a fuss about it. In fact he would make a fuss about being carried by them, make a fuss about this nanny not letting him play or that nanny forcing him to take his nap and beating him and they all ended up being turned out by him. But Ian was getting along so well with his boy; he was handling Yevgeny so fucking well – to the extent of teaching him the word ‘please’ in the course of that afternoon – that Mickey couldn’t believe it. If there was ever a medal for ‘Best Nanny of the Year’ he would have awarded it to Ian  _if_ the other did not love to answer him back so much.

“Because picnics are a chore and you’d get sunburnt from sitting in the sun for too long,” Mickey snapped.

“On the contrary you won’t get a sunburn if you use an umbrella, I’m sure you heard of that right Milord?” Ian retorted.

“Are you mocking me?” Mickey asked his fist tightening on the cutting knife.

“No…I simply wondered if you ever tried using an umbrella to prevent sunburns. That or you can try Hinds Cream, that helps prevent sunburns.”

Mickey just stared at the redhead again. He couldn’t exactly really tell if the redhead was sincere or not and it frustrated him, “I know of Hinds Cream,” he snapped, “we have some here at the house.”

The redhead grinned, “Well then that solves your troubles, we can have a picnic now Yevgeny! Wouldn’t you love that?”

“No you are no-”

“Daddy please…will you join?” Yevgeny asked looking to him pleadingly.

This was  _not_ happening. A nanny and his very own son were  _not_  ganging up on him for a picnic lunch.

Mickey sighed, resigned to his fate, “Alright, fine we will have one picnic lunch. But we will stay out no later than half past one in the afternoon.”

Warm green eyes met him over Yevgeny’s head and the redhead smiled at him, his eyes conveying that same happiness. ‘Thank you Milord!’ he mouthed at him. Mickey just scowled at the nanny and went back to eating, finishing his dinner.

* * *

Later that night Mickey headed up to the rooms upstairs after he had finished with his work. He found the nanny in the midst of tucking Yevgeny in, carding a hand through his son’s hair, a rather affectionate gesture for someone so new to the job. It was common of nannies…but…he’d never witnessed it before. Furthermore Yevgeny didn’t object to it at all.

“I can take it from here, Gallagher,” he said as he enters the room, pushing Ian out of the way with a little tsk as he takes the redhead’s place next to his son’s bed, “Wait for me in your room, I’ll inspect your clothes after I tuck Yev in.”

Ian just nods and then he bows out of the room with a “Yes Milord,” going back through the connecting door to his own room.

Once he and Yevgeny are alone together, Mickey pulls the covers up to cover his son’s chest, smiling at him as the little boy yawned, rubbing his eyes and trying to stay awake just awhile longer. “Picnic tomorrow daddy,” he mumbled.

“Yeah that’s right,” he answered leaning down to press a kiss to Yevgeny’s forehead, “so you make sure to sleep well okay?”

Yevgeny nodded and then he grabbed his father’s hand, “Ian’s nice,” he whispered.

Mickey doesn’t say anything he just pats his son’s hand, gently pulling away from him and then standing as he says, “Goodnight Yev.” He turns out the lights in the room, save for one little lamp in the corner of the room. With that he looks back once more at Yevgeny who was already curled up on his side in bed, eyes closed. He purses his lips, taking a deep breath to calm himself now it was time to deal with the nanny and his smartarse remarks.

Mickey crosses over to the other room finding Ian laying out his clothes on the bed and around the room’s chairs and dresser tops.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked closing the connecting door softly behind him, he doesn’t want to disturb Yevgeny’s sleep just in case things get a little loud. He was going to  _try_  not to loose his temper with the redhead.

“What?” Ian asks as he stops in the midst of laying out one of his shirts. “I thought you wanted to inspect my clothes Milord?”

“Yes but…” he can’t really find words for it.

“You look surprised Milord,” Ian said as he stood across the room staring at his lordship.

“I don’t see why you laid out everything around the room,” he answered pinching the bridge of his nose, “this isn’t funny Gallagher.”

“I’m not laughing Milord, and I’m not trying to make fun of this. You wanted to inspect my clothes…so…I thought I’d lay them out for you to see. If you’d told me sooner you didn’t want me to lay them out like that I probably wouldn’t have seeing as it require  _so_ much energy!”

Mickey can hear the sincerity in his voice, and his heart would have all but softened save for that last one, “There was no need for that last remark,” he muttered as he moves about the room now. Ian’s clothes are all pretty shabby looking. “Where’s your best suit?” he asked.

“Right here,” the redhead said as he pulled out a rather musty smelling, superbly dull brown tweed suit.

Mickey doesn’t like it and on top of that it smells old but it can’t be helped for now. “Have the maids clean it and freshen it up. We’re going to need that when we get out of the house for certain occasions. Though I might bring you down to a tailor’s soon because that suit is…”

“Is?” Ian challenged.

“It is a pathetic excuse of a suit. It is disgusting. It smells and it just doesn’t look right on you,” Mickey said.

“How’d you know? You haven’t seen me in it before,” Ian challenged him.

Mickey shook his head, tongue in cheek as he looked at the nanny, “Do I need to remind you that you are staying under my roof and you should respect me as I am the head of the house? You have been nothing but rude since you arrived.”

“I don’t see how that’s rude Milord. All I have been doing is having a normal opinionated conversation. Surely you need to hear other’s opinions as well or how would you function in any business transaction or otherwise?”

“Look here,” Mickey snarled as he grabbed the nanny by the front of his shirt, roughly drawing the redhead close to him. This was not him at all, this  _anger._ Ian’s green eyes didn’t show any fear, not even when they were this close and Mickey felt his hands slipping from the reins of his emotions, his anger showing. “I  _will not_  have you speaking to me like that in my house, under my roof,” he seethed, “You  _will_ treat me with respect. Do you understand Ian Gallagher?”

“Or what?” Ian asked gritting his teeth, staring straight into his lordships dark eyes, “You can’t fire me,” he spat and he saw the truth run for a split second in Mickey’s eyes, “You know why? Because you  _need_ me. You’ve never had a nanny that could ever take care of your son as well as I have done today!” Ian said keeping his voice soft because Yevgeny was probably already asleep in the room next to his.

“I have proven myself to you and I’ve seen it, your emotions, ghosting across your face, your  _admiration_  for my handling of Yevgeny. Always for just a split second though because you…” Ian breathed as he took Mickey’s hand off of him, prying it off his shirt, “you always hide behind your fake little mask of schooled features and clipped speech. I unnerve you! Admit it you’ve never had anyone like me talk back to you. Heck you never had _anyone_ talk back to you before because you’re a little lord and you get whatever you want just because you have all the money and power at your finger tips!”

Mickey gulped his hand clenching at his side now as he averted his eyes. All those words…he didn’t feel angry because part of that was right. He didn’t know what he felt really at that moment because…he simply  _hadn’t_ felt in awhile. It was just a white-hot rush of anger, fear and everything all at once.

Ian feared for a second that he was going to get fired right there and then on the spot. He expected to get hit by his lordship or something like that which is why he wasn’t prepared for what came next.

“Speak to me like that again Gallagher and I will not hesitate to turn you out on the streets even if you might be able to take care of Yevgeny. There will always be other nannies out there. And if the one I hire can’t take care of Yev I’ll just fire that one and get a new one. I can just keep doing that because you’re right, I have money and I can buy whatever the fuck I want,” he said his voice cold and hard as he stared at the shocked redhead. Then he abruptly turned on his heel and left the room, slamming Ian’s door shut behind him.

He finds his butler just making his way up the stairs, nodding a greeting to him, “Is everything alright Milord?” he asks as he comes over now, “Has your valet not seen to your change of clothes?”

“No that’s not it Kev,” Mickey muttered with a tight smile, “I just went to check on the nanny and his clothes is all.”

“I hope he isn’t making too much trouble for you Milord, he is a bit on the chatty side if I might say so myself,” his butler answered.

Mickey just smiled again, “Right, have you told the maids and the cook about the picnic lunch tomorrow?” he asked, needing a change of topic than that goddamn nanny a few doors down.

“Ah yes, I have. The kitchen staff are quite surprised that you suggested it, a picnic lunch. You haven’t…” Kevin trailed off knowing better than to speak out of turn.

“I know. It wasn’t my idea,” Mickey said, “But I agreed to it anyway. Yevgeny wants to have a picnic.”

“Very good Milord,” Kevin said as he nodded, “I must be on my way to check the rest of the halls then, rest will Milord.”

“Yeah okay,” Mickey answered. 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I haven’t updated this fic in a while! >.< Sorry to those who have been waiting for this. Anyway this chapter is more of a backstory thing for both Mickey and Ian. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was only when he was  _finally_ in bed, the lights turned out and that he was lying in the darkness staring up at the canopy of the bed that Mickey dropped his guard fully. Heaving a huge sigh as he ran both hands through his hair. Today had been a fucking mess. The nanny’s arrival was supposed to be helpful, yes it was. But said nanny though helpful was just trouble spelt out in human form.

Never in his entire life had he met with someone the likes of Ian Gallagher. He was different, completely, totally, utterly different and the redhead was right. It unnerved him. It basically just derailed him from his surroundings and smashed right through walls that he had built and put in place so well. In fact Ian affected him a great big fucking deal more than Svetlana’s death did. It had been three years and then some since his wife’s death. Svetlana had been a nice woman, a perfect wife, and a perfect catch as many an unlucky suitor would tell him in the days after they had announced their betrothal.

She had beauty, brains and possessed a witty demeanour…quite like Ian but…less fiery. He’d never really been in love with her per se. In fact truth be told he was betrothed to her the moment his father had heard talk of her inheriting her family’s acclaimed riches upon her parents death. It was greed that made him agree to marry her. Lust for her money, which he ultimately got after being put through hell. That was probably his punishment – or so he’d like to think – for marrying a woman whom he never loved truly from the start.

Back then he’d had thought that with time he would grow to love her seeing as she was such a nice woman and all. He thought that he might make up for his initial reasoning for marrying her if he got to know her better. But it never came to be because he found out about how she truly was. They were happy for but only a short time after their marriage. It turned out that she wasn’t as nice as she appeared to be when under public scrutiny. She was short tempered, she snapped at him and she ordered him around.

She wanted children, lots of children. Mickey didn’t know why she was obsessed with that, having children. But he didn’t want any. He didn’t want his children to get a single penny of Svetlana’s wealth, which was now his seeing as he’d married her and as the law of the time stated: ‘everything that a wife owned goes to her husband upon her marriage’. So he sometimes beat her when he came home drunk and angry that she was a wretch of a woman behind closed doors. He beat her because he was angry at being cheated of trying to be a good person, trying to love her. He fucked her roughly, leaving her in a dire state and he told no one about it.

Mickey threatened Svetlana that if she were to tell, he would divorce her and throw her out without a penny to her name. And one day she tricked him, she lied to him about taking her pills and a month later Mickey learnt that she had conceived. He flew into a rage after that, telling her to have her baby taken out of her. But she went into hiding, she ran away from him and gave birth to a son. She came back only a year later to tell him that he had a son and that she was unwell to take care of him. He could remember that day very well, Svetlana turning up on this house’s very doorstep…

_“This is your son,” Svetlana said, as she held out a large bundle of swaddling clothes to him, “His name is Yevgeny and he was born November third.”_

_Mickey had no choice but to accept the bundle, his son as Svetlana broke into a fit of coughing then. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked as he looked at her, because that sure as fuck wasn’t a normal cough._

_She shook her head, “I’m sick,” she answered simply, pulling the handkerchief back from her mouth, small specks of blood covering it._

_He didn’t even have to ask what sickness, because he already knew from that smattering of blood upon her handkerchief._

_“Cruelty begets cruelty,” Svetlana merely said with a smile and then she suddenly collapsed._

_Mickey let her stay, and he went to visit her at her bedside that night._

_“I don’t expect you to let me stay…” she said, her voice a feeble whisper._

Mickey told her then that he couldn’t turn her away now. Not when she was dying. He at least had to be responsible for that. For her death, which came not long after during the winter of that very same year. Mickey remembered that he cried that was the only time that he cried for Svetlana, cried with emotion over her death. Though once again…his reasoning was…off…he was supposed to be crying at her death because of grief or sadness or something of the likes but no.

He cried for her out of pity because she had met such a horrible end before she could even have her son’s second birthday, no mother should have known such a loss no matter how cruel she had been to him and he cried for her because he had never loved her. He cried for himself, his wasted time spent on marrying Svetlana, his greed for her money and his cruelty, which had possibly led to his son being motherless. And he cried especially for Yevgeny his son to have been born out of hate and spite.

In fact it was a wonder that Yevgeny turned out to be quite the opposite.

After that Mickey never let himself be shown outwardly with emotions. He learnt to school his features and keep his speech short and clipped, unable to betray emotion. Every one, even his family thought that he had clammed up after Svetlana’s death because of the grief that it cost him. But truth is he just never wanted to deal with emotions ever again, he never wanted to love, never wanted to hate, or to feel greed or lust or anger or anything ever again. It was an insane thought but had he been offered some magic spell that would take his emotions away he would gladly have agreed to it.

Mickey then had all the old staff gathered and paid them well before turning them all out of the house. He didn’t want to see them because they reminded him of his past and he didn’t want to be reminded of it at all if he was to start over anew. So he hired a whole new batch of staff, Kevin his latest butler was part of that staff he played an important role in helping Mickey to gather all the new staff. Once they’d gathered to take up position under his house to work and cook and clean for him and his son, Mickey explained to them nothing more than the bare minimum of truth mixed in with a ton of lies of what happened to Yevgeny’s mother. He never told them the dark sides, never told them the harsh reality. He would take that all to his grave.

In the end, Mickey thought as he curled up on his side in bed, they’d all gotten their rightful punishments in their own ways, him and Svetlana. As his son grew, Mickey showered him with love and affection. It was only in those moments that he showed some semblance of emotion and even then he still held back, just a little because that was as far as he allowed himself to go. Yevgeny of all people should not be made to suffer and be punished for a mistake that wasn’t his, he was innocent and Mickey loved him for that. He would always love Yevgeny…always…

* * *

Ian could barely sleep after what had happened that night. He was very sure his job was on the line, very sure that if he happened to answer his lordship back again he would be turned out. He couldn’t loose another job again. Not when he was out on the streets trying to fend for himself, he wouldn’t survive, okay he might survive but not for long. Being a nanny he at least had free food and a roof over his head as well as a hefty salary. It was  _the_ life for a homeless person at the small price of taking care of a kid.

He’s had to deal with many a child before, none quite like Yevgeny for those before the young boy had been all bratty, obnoxious ones that made fun of you and blamed you for things that you never even did because they hated you and they just wanted to get rid of you. So they spun the worst of tales, they told lies and cheated and stole to get you turned out on to the street.

It was tough enough having been told suddenly one that that you are a bastard son which your own father didn’t even remember having. That plus the fact that said father ordered him to leave the house and never come back, never speak to a family that you’ve known your whole childhood, your whole life.

It was cruelty.

The man who kicked him out, his ‘father’ was Lord Frank Gallagher, well known for his gambling and his excessive drinking. He was a wretched man; he ruined the household name, which both his wife and children tried to uphold and from young Ian had known nothing but violence from him.

He guessed that it was probably due to the fact that Frank never remembered him, never liked him. Those years of violence had been leading up to his being told to leave the house. Frank later further imposed the rule that the Gallaghers weren’t allowed to talk to him. Not his mother – whom Ian didn’t even know if she was his birth mother or not – nor any of his four other siblings.

For all that it was worth, his siblings had always been nothing but nice to him. Fiona, the eldest of them had always been there to hear his problems and find the time to help him despite all her many functions that she was invited to. She was the talk of the town, turning the heads of whatever ball she graced and causing a ripple in the ranks of men from the full of pocket to the empty.

Then there was his brother, his closest friend and his confidant, Philip, just ‘Lip’ for short to most anyway. Philip was a genius, he was smart and Ian was sure that he could out talk almost anyone. Part of his defiance Ian had to confess was because of Lip’s influence. Lip was also almost always the only one in the family who could stop a fight between Frank and him.

After Lip was Ian and then the two younger siblings, Carl and Debbie. Carl had always been an outdoors sort of person. He hated days when the tutors would come to their house for lessons. For a young boy his age he had an obsessive fascination with hunting and shooting and possibly taxidermy because he collected too many stuffed eagles and rabbits amongst other things.

Last but not least was young Debbie despite her age she would head out to socialise with and attend many speeches for women’s causes and women’s rights. She was a bright young lady but also rebellious because of the speeches she attended which many would say it was inappropriate for her age but Monica, his mother, supported her. Debbie was a little on the vain side sometimes though but it was expected, she didn’t count herself to be as pretty as Fiona and she always thought that she had to constantly compete for attention with her older sister.

Lastly his mother, whom Ian really hoped was his birth mother, Lady Monica Gallagher was a soft-spoken, sweet woman. Ian never wanted to say it in front of his siblings but he always felt that Monica favoured him the most out of the rest of the children though he never knew why. His mother too had been forbidden from talking to him but being a fighter in her own way, she had tried to search for him and had been looking for him ever since he left the home to take up his job as a nanny.

That had been Lip’s idea. A smart one in fact because nanny’s were usually always stay-in nanny’s at this point in time. After getting certified and put under the agency, Ian made it a point to cover up his tracks everywhere he went. He didn’t want his mother coming to look for him only to have Frank suddenly finding out about it and flying into a rage at her over it. Ian would protect her…

Just then he heard a noise, it sounded like a door opening. And it sounded like it was coming from Yevgeny’s room. Ian sat up in bed, looking to the connecting door, which he’d left open for the night. He’d best check on Yevgeny, just in case. Slipping out from under the covers Ian padded across the room to the connecting door, in the dim light of the lamp that was left on he found a larger figure curled up in Yevgeny’s bed with him.

Ian moved closer towards the bed realising that it was his lordship sleeping there, next to his son. The man turned his head and Ian froze mid step in the dark, he swallowed and gave a tight smile not knowing if his lordship could even see him, “I…um…I thought I heard someone opening the door Milord…” he muttered.

“It’s fine it was just me,” Mickey answered as he looked at the redhead, glancing up at down at him, “You…couldn’t sleep?” he asked and he saw Ian arch an eyebrow at him as if surprised by the question.

“Ah…n-no…I was just thinking about…things,” he heard the nanny whisper back in answer to him.

“Me too,” he answered softly as he turned away from the nanny, cuddling Yevgeny to his chest.

“I’ll fetch an extra blanket Milord,” Ian said when he realised that his lordship was going to stay the night. He went back into his room and then fetched a spare blanket from the wardrobe taking it back into the nursery.

Mickey stiffened when he felt the nanny covering him up with the blanket, his hand accidentally brushing against his back, “Thank you,” he answered stiffly.

“I’m sorry I made you angry Milord,” he hears the redhead say.

Mickey doesn’t answer, he doesn’t turn back to look at the redhead at all not until the nanny had left the room through the connecting door. He let out a breath that he hadn’t known that he’d been holding then as he settled down under the warm blanket to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I wrote this awhile back and I'm posting it up now since people want to read. It's gonna be some time before I can put up the next chapter because a) I'm back in school b) school has sapped me of all my creative juices c) even if I want to write I don't know why I can't! You guys can drop me ideas over on[my tumblr](http://supremegayoverlord.tumblr.com) and hopefully I'll get my creative juices back again! **

* * *

At 7AM Ian makes his way down to the servants hall to have his breakfast after he checks in on both Yevgeny and his father who is still sleeping there in the bed next to his son. He closes the room’s curtains just a bit more so that should the sun creep into the room it will not wake the two of them up and then turns off the little lamp that’s been on throughout the night. Then he adjusts the blanket on his lordship seeing as it had fallen off. He stays there for a while though watching as Mickey sleeps, his face unguarded, and a peaceful look over his features. Ian smiled just a little, well at least he doesn’t sleep with a scowl he thought to himself and then he turned and left the room.

Once he was down he took his place next to the butler who sat at the head of the table as the kitchen girls served them their food. As he had learnt before, the butler was in charge of all the male staff and the housekeeper which just so happened to be a lady called Veronica – Kevin’s wife – was in charge of all the female staff. Nannies thought didn’t really have to answer to either of them because they answered directly to the lord or lady who had employed them but Ian felt closer to Kevin than to his lordship at the moment.

“Jody, you’d best hurry with your meal, his lordship will need to be up soon,” Kevin instructed as he looked to the clock. “Make sure he’s dressed and down for breakfast. Matty, remember to serve his lordship the eggs before the porridge.”

They both just nodded and hurried along with their meal.

Ian pursed his lips he didn’t know if he should tell them that they wouldn’t find his lordship in his usual room. “Um…Kevin,” he said as he tapped the butler on the arm. Said butler raised a brow at him in question. “I doubt Jody would find his lordship in his usual room,” Ian informed him.

“Why not?” Kevin asked in a hushed tone.

“His lordship went to the nursery last night sleep with his son,” Ian answered.

“Alright I’ll send one of the maids to wake him up then,” Kevin answered then said to Jody, “You are to wait to dress his lordship in his room.”

“Very well,” Jody answered.

In the short time that he’s been here, Ian knew little other than his lordship’s valet who turned out to be this cowboy-looking guy or something and the footman Matty. Other than that they were all just faces without a name to him. As Kevin had mentioned before he wouldn’t be spending much time with the rest of the servants anyway, so it would actually be all right if he didn’t remember most of the staff. Apparently nannies were just that little notch higher than the house staff.

“One more thing Ian, the picnic lunch that you and his lordship are having,” Kevin said, “I’ll have it prepared and ready by half past 11. Should I send the maids to fetch you when you’re ready?”

  
Ian nodded and smiled, “Yeah that would be fine, thanks,” he said.

“Ian, if you don’t mind my asking, how’d you manage to convince his lordship to get out of the house?” Veronica asked from across the table.

Ian shrugged a little, “It wasn’t me really. Yevgeny asked if we could catch frogs. His lordship agreed to that and I just suggested the idea of a picnic lunch. His lordship wasn’t pleased with it at first. But then he gave in when little Yevgeny asked him again on my behalf.”

“He gives the little master everything as he should deserve after his mother’s passing, terrible thing,” Veronica commented.

Ian smiled a little at that as he silently went back to eating his food. He hadn’t told anyone here about his previous predicaments and he wasn’t intending on telling them anytime soon either. Seeing as Yevgeny had lost his mother only made Ian want to cherish his own even more but alas he couldn’t even see her let alone allow her to look for him.

“I believe I should head upstairs to take care of Yevgeny now,” Ian said after Jody and a few of the maids had left for their respective jobs. Then he stood, passing his plate to one of the kitchen girls, “thank you,” he muttered and then he turned and left, making his way upstairs to Yevgeny’s nursery.

* * *

Okay so the sun wasn’t as bad as he had made it out to be. It was a nice cool morning even as the sun shone in the sky. Mickey didn’t even have to use Hinds Cream to prevent sunburn as the sun was shining too weakly to do much damage. He’s seated on the little hill under the shade of the umbrella, picnic basket next to him, food also spread out beside him as he reads a book whilst his son and the nanny are playing in the stream nearby, catching frogs.

As the sound of laughter wafts over the air to him, Mickey looks up from his book, seeing Yevgeny giggling and running about the stream trying to catch a frog. The redhead was crouched down in the stream, his pants rolled up to his knees, white cotton shirt wet and plastered to his body, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He pursed his lips eyes fixated on the redhead as he laughed together with his son, catching a frog and letting it loose on Yevgeny.

He found a smile creeping to his lips and he immediately chased it away with a scowl as he set his book down, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and marched down to the stream.

“Did I just see you put a frog on my son’s head?” he asked when he was standing by the stream.

“I was balancing frogs daddy!” his son exclaimed as he held up one slippery green amphibian towards him. “Do you want to try?” he asked.

Mickey sighed, “No thanks. And don’t do that, don’t put frogs on your head it’s dirty,” he said as he looked to Ian for an explanation. Surely the nanny would have stopped his son.

“I tried to tell him,” Ian said with a little smile as he straightened up in the stream to see his lordship standing by it.

“Try harder and make sure he listens,” Mickey answered as he watched Yevgeny set the frog free and then after awhile go and chase after it again.

Silence fell between them; with Yevgeny gone now the sound of the water flowing in the stream was the only thing that could be heard.

“Have you ever tried catching frogs?” Ian asked him all of a sudden and Mickey looked at the nanny, white cotton shirt sticking to his body and all. He found it oddly distracting. Mickey shook his head, averting his eyes for some reason. “I haven’t caught one since I was younger.”

“Do you…maybe want to try that instead of reading your books all day?”

Mickey scowled slightly, biting on the inside of his cheek, “I suppose…” he answered and then he bent to roll up his pants, folding it up to his knees as he waded into the water to stand with the nanny.

Ian grinned, “Careful Milord it’s a tough job to catch a frog,” he teased.

“If my son can do it I’m sure I can,” Mickey answered back as he bent to search for the slimy creatures.

“Daddy there’s one over here!” Yevgeny called from further down stream.

“Okay, coming!” Mickey answered as he went over to join his boy.

* * *

A little later, just after Ian was coming back towards the stream after a quick drink of water from the glass on the picnic mat, he was met with a little crisis. His lordship was now standing a little further up stream with Yevgeny. Ian hadn’t gone there because he knew the rocks were slippery clearly his lordship didn’t know about that or he hadn’t thought about it. But just then he was struggling to keep his balance, about to fall over and Ian having seen what was going to happen rushed to pull him back up by his wrist, his arm immediately snaking about his lordship’s waist to steady him.

Under normal circumstances Mickey would have shouted at the servant but as he stood chest to chest with the nanny, staring up into worried green eyes he couldn’t find any words to say. Let alone think as his heart thumped hard in his chest, he felt dizzy, breath knocked out of him when the redhead caught him with his quick reflexes. He didn’t know how long they stood there like that and it wasn’t until someone cleared his throat and said, “Milord there is a phone call for you,” that Mickey pushes out of Ian’s arms quickly.  

At Kevin’s voice Ian retracts his hold just a fast as his lordship pushes him away, nearly loosing his balance in the process but he manages not to topple over.

“Who from?” his lordship asks.

“Your father Milord, should I te-”

“No I’ll take it now,” Mickey cut his butler off as he waded out of the stream, looking back at the nanny. Fuck, his heart was still pounding and he still felt a little dizzy. “Watch over Yevgeny and don’t forget to be back in by half past one,” he snapped.

“Yes Milord,” Ian answered with a nod and then he watched as his lordship walks away, back to him. Kevin turns then and fixes him with a look. As if to ask ‘what were you doing?’ and Ian just shrugs. He hadn’t known either but if he was doing something then he was pretty sure that if anything, he was saving Mickey that’s what it was.

“C’mon Yevgeny, lets go back to the picnic mat, wash our hands and then have some sandwiches,” he said as he held out his hand for Yevgeny to take.

The little boy took the nanny’s hand in his, “Do you think daddy will catch frogs with us again Ian?” he asked.

Ian shrugged but smiled at the child, “I dunno. You can try asking him again next time…”

_But I have a strong feeling that he wouldn’t want to…well at least not when I’m around._

* * *

“Hello?” Mickey said into the phone when he was back inside the house. His shock over the stream incident already suppressed as he put the phone to his ear, taking the towel offered by one of the maids to dry his hair and body.

“Mickey, what took so long?” came his father’s voice on the other side of the line.

“I was out…by the stream catching frogs with Yevgeny,” Mickey explained.

“You went out of the house?”

“Yes I did, now is that such a surprise, father?” he asked.

“No, it’s just I thought after Svetlana…”

“I thought we agreed not to speak about her anymore,” Mickey snapped.

“Right. Anyway, I called to ask if you would come down earlier to visit this coming week. I’m not free on Sunday,” his father said and then added, “and I do want to see little Yevvy again.”

Mickey literally made a face at his father’s nickname for his son, “It’s just Yev or Yevgeny, father.”

“Grandfathers can come up with their own nicknames for their grandsons can’t they?” his father answered, “So would you be able to make it down on say Saturday instead? You can stay the weekend if you like. I’m sure Mandy and your brothers would want to play with their nephew. It’d be good if Yevvy can get to know other kids his age as well, Iggy’s and Tony’s kids will be here too.”

“I guess so,” Mickey muttered. That meant that he’d definitely have to get the nanny a new set of suits, proper looking ones, as soon as possible.

“What’s with I guess so?”

“The nanny arrived,” Mickey informed, “I might need to get him new suits at this rate.”

“Ah, how is she coping with Yevvy?”

“It’s a he. The nanny is a he this time and…he’s doing…kind of well. I guess.”

“A he? One of those mannies then?” his father asked sounding shocked, “But if he’s doing well then I guess that saves you the trouble of having to search for nanny after nanny. And what is it with getting him new suits?”

“Yeah, I guess,” then Mickey paused, “Well lets just say our nanny only has one best suit which is still a pathetic excuse for a suit…so…”

“So you better see to it that he is smartly dressed son, get the suits done as soon as possible. Remember, image son, image is the key to everything. I’ll see you Saturday then,” and then the line went dead.

Mickey sighed, “ _Image_ …” he growled, “It’s no wonder why everyone in our family is so fucking uptight.” This was not good, not good at all. There was so much that he worried about for some reason…and it all centred around the nanny. Would Ian be able to handle his family’s haughtiness and shitty airs about servants? Would he be dissed for his dressing and his heritage as all the other nannies had been? And furthermore over everything else, would he be ridiculed for being a male nanny?

All these worries and Mickey couldn’t even begin to fathom why…all he could think about was worried green eyes looking at him. He shook the thought away, gritting his teeth, he’d better change out of his wet clothes and then make some calls to the tailors around town. 


End file.
